Victoria Koops

You roll and draw the ruby-encrusted blade from the earth. Pulling it free is easy enough but just as the tip exits the ground, a whisper ruffles through the trees like the sound of a thousand birds taking flight at once. Gooseflesh ripples down your arm, right to your fingertips which you find wrapped tightly…

Drawing your weapon once more, your feet fall on the long-forgotten path. Edging deeper into the indomitable forest, you settle into an uneasy pace. The deafening quiet wraps around you like a wet blanket as the sun fades lower into the trees. A twig snaps beneath your boot, sending your heart plummeting through your gut.…

“Go on an Adventure, they said.” You roll to the side just in time, as a giant spider spits a sticky, paralyzing web at the little patch of ground you had been occupying only moments before. Sweat plasters your hair to your forehead and temples, curling the drenched locks at the back of your neck.…